Opening Ceremony of ‘Hong Kong School Uniforms – Past and Present’ by The Hong Kong Museum of Education

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School uniforms are part of most Hong Kong people’s unforgettable memories of adolescence. To enhance the public’s understanding of the development of school uniforms in Hong Kong over the past 100 years, the Hong Kong Museum of Education is organising a first-of-its-kind exhibition on this theme. Visitors can witness changes in the approach to education from a curated collection of school uniforms across generations.

The year-long exhibition “Hong Kong School Uniforms - Past and Present” displays some old school uniforms that have not been seen in public for decades. The exhibition also displays accessories, such as old school ties, school badges and school bags. Through a wide range of historical objects, the exhibition gives visitors an overview of the development of local school uniforms and recalls our collective memories. In addition to taking photos of the exhibits, visitors can take a virtual selfie with an interactive game at the exhibition.

Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, President of EdUHK, and Professor John Lee Chi-kin, Vice President (Academic) and Chairman of the Education Heritage Advisory Committee, officiated at the opening of the exhibition today (28 November 2018). “School uniforms in Hong Kong date back to the early 20^th century,” explained Professor Cheung. “Later, schools began designing their own school uniforms for group identification, with variations in style, fabric, badges and colour, making the visual identity of each school in some way unique.” The changes in school uniform design over the past century also reflect historical, social, cultural and education developments over time, which is an academic subject in itself worth further study.”

Professor Lee said the exhibition was the first of its kind in Hong Kong, adding that “Hong Kong has a good mix of school uniforms with both Western and Eastern origins. Examples include qipaos, cheongsams, Western-style uniforms, ties and the like. It is this cultural harmony that makes our school uniforms unique. With school uniforms now a central part of the way in which almost every Hong Kong school constructs a group identity, the paucity of academic literature on the subject is surprising.” He said he hoped the exhibition would attract academic interest in this subject.

The exhibition runs from 28 November 2018 to 31 October 2019.  Admission is free and group visits are most welcome. Other details are as follows: